Changed For The Better
by FallToYourKnees
Summary: Quinn is back ruling the halls of McKinley as Head Cheerio, but an encounter with Rachel leaves her doubting everything she knows and bringing back painful memories.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: This will be at least five chapters long, possibly more if people like it. All comments and criticism appreciated, thank you for reading!  
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**Eventual pairings will be Rachel/Quinn, others still to be decided. This chapter is tame; action in the next one, I swear to Grilled Cheesus.  
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**I do not own Glee or it's characters; if I did, I would find a way to make Rachel's skirts shorter.  
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It was a fairly average after school rehearsal for the Glee club. Kurt had loudly disapproved of Rachel's outfit, describing it as 'elderly yet whorish', resulting in a near storm-out. Puck had made three sexist comments and received three slaps around the head from Santana, Rachel and Kurt respectively. Finn sat staring blankly into space, until he put his hand up and asked Mr Schue what the word 'discombobulate' meant, to which Brittany replied that she once rode one at the carnival. Mike and Sam were involved in a competitive dance-off that was being judged by Tina, Artie and Mercedes, a heated argument taking place between Tina and Mercedes about whether or not Sam should lose points for tripping over a chair, as he claimed it was his new dance move.

After trying – and failing – to convince Finn that 'discombobulate' was not something you would find at a carnival, Mr Schue moved to the front of the class and waited until the choir room fell silent. He held up a piece of paper. "Guess what arrived today guys," he announced, smiling, "the rules for the Nationals, which is taking place in six weeks!" An excited hush spread through the gathered teenagers. "The most exciting part is… it's being held in New York City! New Directions is going road tripping!"

The reaction from the Glee members was exactly as Mr Schue had hoped. There were whoops and high fives amongst the boys, shrieks of delight from Rachel and Kurt, an excited impromptu dance from Brittany, and even Santana and Puck had huge grins on their faces. They quietened down again when it became clear that Mr Schue had more to say.

"Also, this time I've decided to mix things up a bit. Every other competition we've done, I've chosen your songs. This time," Mr Schue said, pausing for effect, "you guys are choosing. As long as we stick to the Nationals show choir rules, it's up to you!" A chorus of "ooohs" spread through the room and everyone started talking at once.

Rachel's eyes glazed over slightly and she began muttering "ideas, ideas, planning, so many ideas" before shouting "Wicked! We have to do something from Wicked!". Puck snorted and replied, "No way, let's totally do some hardcore rock". Mercedes kept saying "Aretha, Aretha, Aretha" while Kurt gave a lengthy spiel about how they should perform a number from The Sound of Music, with him as the star of course. Brittany, clearly baffled as to what they were talking about, suggested a Happy Meal; there was a slightly awkward silence until Santana patted her on the head gently, then the arguing began again.

Mr Schue, amused by the discussions taking place, let them talk for a while. He noticed that Quinn wasn't saying anything; the girl seemed completely zoned out, her elbows on her knees and chin resting on her hands, staring into space. It wasn't the first time Quinn had seemed distant in Glee. Things had been different ever since she had returned to school the summer after having her baby. It was as if she had completely forgotten about the pregnancy and her fall from grace within the McKinley social hierarchy; back in shape and back to her controlled, private self, she was once again the Head Cheerio, confident and strong. However in Glee she seemed to let down her guard a little, and Mr Schue was worried about the sad girl she seemed to become whenever that happened. She did seem more relaxed around the other Glee members, except for Rachel, still on the receiving end of Quinn's occasionally bitchy remarks, despite the almost friendly relationship between them before the summer break.

Mr Schue's thoughts were interrupted by Finn. "Mr Schue," the tall boy said, a confused expression on his face, "how will we know which songs to pick?" Mr Schue considered the question for a moment, aware than the other Glee members were also waiting for an answer. "Well," he said, smiling at the group, "it's got to come from inside of you." A loud "HAHA!" made everyone jump and glare at Puck, who said with a cocky grin "that's what she said." Everyone groaned and Rachel responded with her usual "shut it Puckerman!", while Brittany simply asked "who is she and how does Puck know she said that?"

Mr Schue sighed as the school bell began to ring, signalling the end of their practice. He said goodbye to the Glee kids and moved into his office, dreading the large pile of unmarked Spanish quizzes on his desk, knowing that most of his students could hardly remember what 'hola' meant. As he sat down, he noticed through the open door that Quinn was still motionless on her chair in the choir room, and was about to check on her when he heard a voice from the room, which he recognised as Rachel's. "Uh…Quinn?"

The blonde girl raised her head as if mildly surprised at hearing her name, looking at the other girl with a gaze that could only be described as lost; Mr Schue had never seen anyone look so utterly miserable. Suddenly it was as if a mask was sliding across Quinn's face; it became cold and expressionless, her eyes hard and almost cruel. "What do you want Berry?" she muttered, "aside from a decent taste in fashion, that is."

Rachel's mouth twitched but she didn't respond to the other girl's jibe, choosing instead to roll her eyes dramatically and head towards the door again, pausing at the frame and ignoring the icy glare directed at her. "You looked upset," Rachel said, her voice sounding almost disappointed. "I thought you might appreciate an offer to talk to someone. Clearly I was mistaken, and it's a mistake I won't make again." With that, she walked away, leaving Quinn to stare at the closing door; after a moment she gathered herself and left, slowly making her way to English class. In his office, Mr Schue wondered how it was that a teenager could have that much emotion and pain; he made a mental note to have a word with Quinn at the next Glee practice. Sighing again, he couldn't help but groan as he marked the first Spanish quiz. Once again, Brittany had drawn either a sombrero or a cactus for every answer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Took a couple days to write because I'm exhausted… wrote 'egg roll' instead of 'eye roll' at one point. Luckily I noticed that mistake. There are probably many more haha.**

**Thanks for reading! As always, reviews/comments greatly appreciated.  
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Two days later, at the next Glee club practice – Mr Schue has added a Wednesday after-school rehearsal to New Direction's usual Monday and Thursday ones, in preparation for Nationals – Mr Schue clapped his hands to get everyone's attention, a grin on his face. "Alright guys," he said, "I'm guessing some of you have Nationals song suggestions already. Let's get this show on the road. Who's got one?"

Rachel's hand shot into the air so quickly he was surprised she didn't give herself whiplash; Kurt's was close behind. Some of the other members looked vaguely interested, Tina and Mercedes had their heads together, whispering furiously. Finn appeared to be asleep and on the verge of drooling. Mr Schue raised his eyebrows. "I should also let you know about the new rules for this competition. There are to be three songs: One with the whole group performing, one with just one or two boys, and one with just one or two girls. We've had solo performances before, and they were great." At this, Rachel flicked her hair and beamed. "So this time, we're going with a double act. We need a song that two of you boys can sing together, and one for two of the girls."

Rachel's mouth dropped open and she looked crestfallen at the news that she would not get a solo, while Kurt smirked at the fact that she wouldn't be allowed to perform in the boy's song. There was a brief silence before Rachel announced, "For Good. From one of the greatest Broadway musicals ever, Wicked. We would need a Glinda and an Elphaba – a role I've been preparing for since I was five." Mr Schue blinked at her, before nodding thoughtfully. 'You know Rachel, that's actually a really good idea. I'll put it on the list."

There were several suggestions from the other Glee members, and they spent the remainder of the hour discussing ideas. Near the end of the allotted time, Mr Schue realised he hadn't heard Quinn's voice for the entire practice; looking at the girl, she once again seemed completely zoned out. Leaving the others to argue amongst themselves, he sat in the empty seat next to her, ignoring the raised eyebrow she shot in his direction. "Hey Quinn, everything okay?"

The girl closed her eyes for a brief second and straightened up, meeting his gaze coolly. "I'm fine, Mr Schue." He wiggled his own eyebrows at her reply, mimicking her own actions, pleased that it brought a small smile to her face although she also rolled her eyes. "I'm just tired, Coach Sylvester is working us like crazy for the Cheerleading Nationals. It's the week after the Glee Nationals." Both Quinn and Mr Schue were suddenly interrupted by a loud voice beside them, proclaiming "Mercedes, I really don't think For Good is the right song for your voice, that's all… maybe Tina could sing Glinda's role? Or what about Quinn? Glinda is blonde, after all."

Hearing Rachel say her name, Quinn scowled and leaned forward in her chair, making deliberate eye contact with the shorter girl. "Berry," she sneered, "what makes you think I would want to sing with you? Seriously, I think I'd rather punch myself in the face." There were murmurs from the gathered kids, a "ooh burrrrn" from Kurt, and a "catfight, take off your clothes!" from Puck. Rachel responded with an exaggerated eye roll, scowling at Quinn. "On second thoughts, Quinn isn't right for the role at all. Glinda turns out to be nice in the end. I don't think a stuck-up bitch like Quinn could play her convincingly, even if it is only for one song."

"Stuck-up bitch? Is that the best you can think of, Berry?" Quinn hissed, standing and ignoring Mr Schue's fairly useless attempts to break up the conflict by holding his hands in the air and looking panicked. "Thinking you're so much better than me because you're so 'talented'. Well it's not hard to be talented in Lima, is it? You'll have no chance in the real world. I can't wait to see that moment when you realise you're nothing special at all, even your own mother didn't want you. You'll soon fade into mediocrity like every other Lima Loser in this goddamn town."

Quinn didn't even realise she was shouting the last sentence until she fell silent, standing in front of Rachel with her fists clenched and a furious look on her face. Suddenly Quinn noticed that the rest of the Glee club – Mr Schue included – were staring at her with mouths gaping open, Artie leaning as far back in his wheelchair as he could, Brittany peeking through a gap in her fingers, Puck looking both frightened and turned on, and Rachel–

Something clenched inside Quinn's stomach when her gaze turned back to the short girl in front of her. Rachel had dropped her eyes and turned her head away; Quinn could tell that she was fighting back tears by the way her lip trembled and her hands shook as she took a step back. The taller girl opened her mouth, wanting to say _something_ – that she hadn't meant it? That really – even though she would die before admitting it – Quinn was a closeted Broadway musical fan, and she sometimes thought that Rachel Berry's voice was more amazing than anything in Wicked or Les Mis. But no words came out, and as the school bell rang noisily and the other Glee members slowly backed away and began to leave, Mr Schue sighed and stood in between the two girls. "I think," he said gently, "that we need to have a talk, Quinn. Can you stay for a minute?"

The girl nodded slowly, her expression a mixture of guilt and the sorrowful look he had seen on her face just days before. As he gestured for her to sit down in his office, she stopped suddenly and turned back to Rachel, who was quietly placing books back into her bag behind them. "Rachel, I didn't, um, I'm…" her voice trailed off as she struggled to find the right words; were there any right words? The dark-haired girl wouldn't even look at Quinn as she muttered "forget it" and walked out, holding her head high despite her red eyes and tear-stained face.

A few minutes later Quinn left the choir room and slowly wandered down the empty corridor, her mind feeling heavy and confused. She takes her time because there's no rush to get home, where her parents will mostly ignore her, although sometimes she catches her father staring at her with a look of disgust. It makes Quinn hate herself even more, because despite what her parents did to her when they found out about the pregnancy a year ago, some part of her still wants their approval. She feels suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion and contemplates simply sliding down the lockers onto the scuffed floor; shaking herself slightly, she decides to at least go into the girl's bathroom where it is more private.

Quinn was too absorbed in her thoughts to notice the other figure in the room until she reached the sink and looked into the mirror, seeing first the dark circles under her eyes, then the wary expression of one Rachel Berry beside her, in the middle of carefully wiping away tear-smudged mascara tracks on her cheeks. For a moment both girls just eyed each other cautiously; then as Rachel started to turn away to leave, Quinn reached out and touched her wrist.

"I said that your mother didn't want you because I'm trying to convince myself that I don't – that I didn't – want Beth." She's never heard her voice sound this way before, as if each word was a knife twisting deeper into her chest. "I don't sleep so well anymore. At night I think about how things could have been." Quinn doesn't feel the tears sliding down her face, doesn't see Rachel stepping closer to her, until the shorter girl has embraced her, holding her like she's afraid of breaking her. "She's my daughter and I haven't seen her since she was born. She won't remember me and I can't forget her."

Suddenly it is as if a huge pressure has lifted from Quinn, the lightness making her feel dizzy for a euphoric second. She is aware of Rachel's hands around her waist, and the soft scent of the girl's hair; taking a deep breath, Quinn pulled away a little, staring Rachel right in the eyes as they kept their hold on each other's waist. Quinn is suddenly _very_ aware how close they are – and that Rachel's eyes, dark brown, are stunning – and that her mouth, slightly parted, is one of the sexiest things Quinn has ever seen, something else she would never admit to anyone. Their eyes met again, Quinn noticing that Rachel's eyes seemed to be even darker, and that they were flicking down to her own lips as if Rachel couldn't help herself but look.

A moment later, without either girl fully processing what was happening, Rachel and Quinn were kissing; at first tender and slow, but soon they were both breathing heavily and clutching at each other hungrily, feeling a need that neither had experienced before. Quinn twisted together a handful of Rachel's owl T-shirt and pulled it towards herself, while Rachel ran her hands under Quinn's cheerio top, massaging her lower back. Rachel began to kiss down Quinn's neck, earning a moan from the blonde girl. As if the sound had jolted her back to reality, Rachel suddenly pushed herself away, holding her hand to her mouth as if in shock.

Quinn opened her eyes at the loss of contact, seeing Rachel standing a few feet away looking disheveled and horrified, her always-perfect hair messy and her lips swollen. Before Quinn could say a word, Rachel had grabbed her bag and backed away towards the door; their eyes meeting again, the dark-haired girl said in a cold voice that Quinn had never heard her use: "This never happened, you understand?" She turns and storms out without looking back, leaving Quinn Fabray alone, in shock, her skin feeling like electricity wherever Rachel had touched her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews people, I really appreciate you taking the time to read this. Stoked that you're enjoying it!**

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It had been a week since the 'incident' in the girl's bathroom, and despite Quinn's best efforts, Rachel had been avoiding her and refusing any attempts to talk about what had happened; it was driving Quinn insane, because she couldn't stop running over every detail in her mind. How incredibly good Rachel's kisses had been, so different to a boy's, and how amazing it had felt to run her hand over the girl's body. However it always ended with Rachel's denial and cold rejection, the words still echoing in Quinn's head.

It was at the after-school rehearsal that Quinn finally cornered a furious Rachel while the others were distracted by Mr Schue's attempts to breakdance while Artie and Finn tried - badly - to beatbox. Whispering so they wouldn't be overheard, Quinn simply said "bathroom, after Glee. We sort this out once and for all." Seeing the stubborn expression on Rachel's face, Quinn was sure the girl would refuse, and was surprised when Rachel hissed "fine," and moved away from her as quickly as possible. The rest of the rehearsal dragged on, nothing productive happening as the Nationals songs had still not been decided on; it was agreed that a vote would take place the next week. Quinn left before Rachel, giving the girl a quick nod before heading out of the choir room, hoping that Rachel would turn up.

After ten long minutes hanging out in the bathroom alone – which Quinn had to admit, was pretty creepy – the door finally opened and Rachel slipped in, her face already hostile and her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "I didn't think there was anything to talk about, Quinn." She said, standing on the other side of the room; Quinn almost laughed at the unnecessary distance, but decided not to risk making Rachel any angrier than she already was.

"We kissed each other. Here, in this very room, last week." Quinn stated bluntly, almost enjoying the blush that spread across Rachel's cheeks; she dared to take a couple of steps into the middle of the bathroom, ignoring the other girl's scowl. "I kissed you. And you kissed me back. Honestly, it was the hottest thing I've ever done." Now Quinn was only a few feet away from Rachel, who was just staring at her. "I just think that we should try it one more time, so you can make up your mind for good. One kiss, that's all." Quinn noted the way that Rachel's eyes fell to her lips for a long moment, until the girl unwillingly dragged them back up to meet Quinn's gaze.

She took a step closer until her face was inches away from Rachel's, hazel eyes locked onto dark brown ones, then brought her hand up to the shorter girl's chin and gently held it, refusing to break the intense eye contact. Rachel opened her mouth as if to ask her to stop, to think, but no words came out and she found she couldn't move away from Quinn. It was a relief when the taller girl closed the gap, both of their eyes fluttering shut as the kiss deepened, their bodies pressing together as if they want to get as close as possible.

The kisses grew stronger and more heated until Rachel suddenly realised that she was pushed up against the wall, wedged between a sink and a hand dryer; she was about to complain, but then Quinn started placing warm kisses down her throat and over her collarbone, the taller girl's arms wrapped around Rachel's waist in a way that made her feel incredibly sexy. Rachel couldn't help but let out a moan, feeling a pressure build between her legs with every touch. Quinn glanced up to check that she was okay, feeling a smile spread across her face at Rachel's expression; she looked incredibly hot, and she also look incredibly turned on.

The girls began to kiss again, getting more forceful, hands running over each other. Quinn couldn't help but notice that Rachel was breathing just as hard as her, so in the next passionate kiss, she slid her hand down until it was resting on the girl's tanned thigh, just below the hemline of her ridiculously short skirt. Slowly moving her fingers upwards, Quinn looked to Rachel for confirmation; their foreheads pressed together, Rachel let out a quick nod, her eyes drifting shut.

She let out a low moan when Quinn's hand reached it's destination, and then began to move in ways that felt _so good_; her whole body moved against Quinn's when the girl's finger brushed a particularly sensitive spot. Feeling the girl's smile against her neck, Rachel moved slightly so she could reach down below Quinn's cheerleading skirt, feeling nervous until Quinn's breathy gasps told her she was doing something right. Moving together at a slow but steady pace, the girls continued to kiss, nuzzling into each other's necks when it became necessary to breathe.

It wasn't long before Rachel felt a swelling heat from inside of her, and pushed herself more forcibly onto Quinn; recognising the girl's need and feeling her own approaching, Quinn began to speed up her movements, her thumb brushing against the place that made Rachel moan the loudest; she closed her eyes as at the amazing feeling as Rachel did the same to her. The shorter girl began to shudder against Quinn, saying "oh god, oh god, Quinn, don't stop…". Hearing Rachel moan her name sent Quinn over the edge too, catching Rachel in a long kiss as their bodies moved together. The waves of pleasure rolled over them for long seconds until they were finished, clutching onto each other, Quinn leaning heavily onto Rachel, who was now thankful for the wall behind her.

For a minute or two, both girls were silent, waiting for their breathing to return to normal. Quinn leaned back, hands on Rachel's hips, and kissed her deeply before stepping away, smiling softly. "Rach," she murmured, "that– that was…" unable to even find the right words, Quinn settled for moving closer to Rachel again. As she leaning in for another kiss, Rachel suddenly stood up straight and grabbed Quinn's arms, pushing her away almost violently. Startled, Quinn stared at her, eyes wide and questioning.

"No, no no, what have I done." She heard Rachel say, the words hitting Quinn like a physical blow. Rachel moved towards the door, her face a mixture of confusion and shock; keeping one hand out in front of her, as if to keep Quinn from coming near her. Suddenly desperate to stop her from leaving, from denying everything like she had done after their first kiss, Quinn moved towards Rachel; intending to convince her that it was okay, that they would be okay, to plead with her to give Quinn a chance if that's what it took. But before she could try to explain to Rachel how seeing her smile made Quinn feel instantly better after another crappy day, how Glee club was the highlight of the school day because she would see Rachel there, happy and singing, Quinn's heart fell through her stomach at the almost cold expression that had covered the girl's face

Raising her eyes, Rachel fought to keep her mask from slipping as she stared Quinn down. Agreeing to talk to the girl had been a mistake; she shouldn't have let Quinn get under her skin, let her get close enough kiss her, because after that Rachel totally lost control. People had already told her that she was a great actress, now she would have to play the hardest role yet, making Quinn Fabray believe that what had just happened between them meant absolutely nothing to Rachel. She forced herself to remember the years of slushy facials and verbal abuse, and of course what Quinn had said a week previously about her mother. A rush of anger filled her body.

"This won't happen again," Rachel announced, eyes locked onto Quinn's hazel ones, trying to ignore the pain that filled them. "It was a mistake that I'm never going to repeat. Don't speak to me in Glee club, don't try to get me alone to 'talk' ever again." Rachel paused for emphasis, refusing to drop her glare even though the sight of tears running down Quinn's face was making her feel sick to her stomach; "I hate you, Quinn Fabray, and I want nothing to do with you." Rachel turned and stormed towards the bathroom door.

"I want you."

The three simple words and the raw emotion behind them stopped Rachel in her tracks, her eyes closing as she fought to stay in control. Hearing Quinn approach her, aware from the tension that she was standing right behind her, Rachel refused to turn around; her teeth gritting together as she imagined turning and falling into the girl's arms. "You don't want me, Quinn." Rachel whispered, hating the way her voice trembled as she forced herself to stay completely still. "Even if you did, I wouldn't care, because I don't want you." She heard a whimper behind her, but clenched her fists and forced herself to continue. "This was just an easy way to relieve some tension, I knew you'd be willing for a quick screw, you're just as easy as your reputation makes you out to be. Clearly, getting knocked up and having a baby you wouldn't even keep hasn't stopped you. Now leave me alone."

Rachel slowly walked out of the bathroom, fighting the overwhelming urge to take her words back, to pull Quinn into a hug and somehow repair the damage she had just inflicted. The door had already slammed shut by the time Quinn had slid to the floor, head resting on shaking hands as the tears continued to fall, Rachel's words playing over and over in her mind.


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